Coddens finally has chance to enjoy her accomplishments

May 06, 2008

It was unfair -- but the way things had gone up until then, it wasn't a shock.Marilyn Coddens was minutes away from achieving the pinnacle for a coach. Her Washington High School girls basketball team was dominant, cruising to the 2007 Class 4-A state championship. As each second ticked off the Conseco Fieldhouse clock, the delirious anticipation of the impending championship spread along the Panther bench and up into the packed cheering section behind the team.Al Lesar The mood was suddenly spoiled. One player, in a jealous snit over a lack of playing time, bolted from the bench to the locker room. Dressed. And took a seat in the stands. Coddens became aware of the situation and, like many times before, went into damage-control mode. Trying to avoid embarrassment, Marilyn's staff -- her husband Don and Maurice Scott -- retrieved the player, coaxed her back to the bench and even got her into the game. The celebration was tempered. It seemed more of a relief that the season's end had come than the achievement of the ultimate goal. Coddens' coaching style, forged in discipline, regularly butted against many of the free spirits who helped Washington reach the state championship game each of the past three years. That's why her decision to step down in order to become Washington's athletic director was hardly a shock. It was a difficult three years for her. The bearer of the torch for excellence in South Bend athletics, Coddens and her players carried a heavy burden of getting the talent to live up to expectations. Having Skylar Diggins -- a better person than basketball player, though a first-team All-American -- lightened the load a bit. But the pressure was intense. Coddens brought to fruition what other city girls basketball coaches had started. -Riley's Mike Megyesi pioneered the route from South Bend to Indianapolis in 2002, proving a city team could belong among the elite. -St. Joseph's Mike Megyese realized the dream in 2005 that a South Bend team is really capable of winning the crown. -Then Coddens showed what it takes to make the state finals a regular destination. There have been growing pains. Coddens learned how to coach an elite player when Jacqueline Batteast prepared on the West Side for college stardom and a professional opportunity. Coddens endured the professional competitiveness with other area coaches, which sometimes wasn't pleasant. Daily, her discipline was challenged. The challenges didn't always get handled by Marilyn, but the buck stopped there. Scott, Diggins' stepfather, has a keen insight into the players and a manner that allows him to get through. Don is a crusty ol' sort -- kind of a, "spare the rod, spoil the child," guy. It's been a good fit. It's worked. But it hasn't always been fun. Life's too short not to have fun. It has to be hard for Marilyn to walk away from Diggins in her senior year, but Skylar will do just fine. The foundation's been set and it's solid. The change might even give Marilyn a chance to celebrate for real next time. It's only fair.